The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, has refused to constitute a judicial panel to investigate Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy Ngozi Odu.
He disclosed this in a letter dated January 20, and addressed to the Speaker of the House, Martins Amawhule.
The CJ said he won’t proceed to constitute the panel because of a subsisting court order that prevented him from doing so.
21st CENTURY CHRONICLE reports that on January 16, a Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, had restrained the CJ Amadi from receiving or acting on any correspondence from the Rivers State House of Assembly connected to ongoing moves to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy Odu.
The interim order was sequel to two separate suits marked Suit No. OYHC/7/CS/2026 and Suit No. OYHC/6/CS/2026, instituted by Governor Fubara and his deputy.
The CJ said his office was served with two interim court orders on January 16, 2026, following suits filed by both Governor Fubara and Deputy Governor Odu.
He said the orders expressly restrained him from considering or acting on any resolution, request or document connected to impeachment proceedings against either of the two officials.
Fubara and Odu, in the ex parte applications brought before the court, challenged steps already taken by the Rivers State House of Assembly in furtherance of an impeachment process against them.
The State House of Assembly had requested that Amadi set up a seven-member panel to probe Fubara and Odu, over allegations of gross misconduct.
Justice Amadi said the speaker had already challenged the court orders at the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, saying notices of appeal were served on his office on January 19 and 20.
